An Amazing Life ...
Murray Dryden, SCAW ’s loved and esteemed co-founder, passed away peacefully on February 1, 2004 in his 93rd year. It seems fitting that his granddaughter Debra and her husband Sieg were in India delivering bedkits at the time of his death. Murray was born on a farm in Domain, Manitoba, in 1911 and knew the meaning of hard work and a loving family. After leaving home during the Depression years, like many others, Murray found it difficult to find work. 
He became a door-to-door peddler, subsisting on whatever little cash he could make. While travelling East, many nights he slept in train stations as he rode the rails from one small town to another. He learned then what it was to be deprived of a good night’s sleep. In 1932, Murray found work in Hamilton selling plant food, and it was there that he met and married Margaret Campbell in 1938. In 1948, the Drydens moved to Etobicoke when Murray began selling building materials, and here they raised their three children. During the 1950’s, Murray pursued a hobby in photography. One night he was particularly taken by the peaceful pose of his sleeping daughter, Judy, and took her photo. This led to a desire to photograph more and more children as they slept. It was his hope to publish a coffee-table book. One night while travelling in India, Murray tripped over a child sleeping on the street. A man of ideas, he decided that he must and would do something for children who had no comfortable bed. He couldn’t feed the world, or alleviate hunger, but he believed a good night’s sleep could make a hungry child’s life more comfortable. Murray was a champion for children in developing countries, primarily because they have no welfare systems, no Medicare, and often little or no hope for a future. Thus, with a strong desire to help others and a firm belief that with God nothing is impossible, Sleeping Children Around the World was begun in 1970, with a distribution of fifty bedkits in Pune, India. 
Murray and Margaret devoted their retirement lives to this program, initially hoping to raise $1,000,000. After this was achieved, Murray set a new goal of 1,000,000 bedkits. To date, 688,600 bedkits have been distributed. Murray leaves his three children, Dave, Ken and Judy, grandchildren Greg, Debra, Sarah, Michael, Kate and Dana, and great-grandchildren Jeffrey, Chris, Kevin, Jennifer, Theo and Anaka. He was predeceased by wives Margaret (1985) and Theda (2002). One of Murray’s favourite quotes was “There is nothing more peaceful than a sleeping child”. May you rest in peace, Murray, knowing that your work will be continued and your dream of 1,000,000 children being put to bed will be realized. |
